Commuters suffer as bus, launch services suspended ahead of BNP rally in Khulna
Khulna commuters have been suffering since Friday (21 October) morning as the bus and launch service was suspended ahead of Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) rally in the city on Saturday (22 October); no train tickets were also available due to the pressure of additional passengers.
No public transport left or even entered Khulna's Sonadanga bus stand since Friday morning. On the other hand, no launch left or entered Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) wharf either. Passengers are not getting tickets even though the train is running as per the schedule.
Visiting Sonadanga bus stand on Friday morning (21 October), it was seen that passengers were returning home as no buses left the terminal for any destination due to the strike.
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A passenger named Shaukat said, "I will go from Khulna to Jashore to my sister's house. I came to the stand and saw that the bus was not running. So I could not go. Now I am going back home."
Another man named Limon said, "I want to go to Kushtia today. I work in an organisation there. It is very important to go now. So I think I should go for a small car."
Khulna Bus-Minibus Owners' Association and the Motor Workers' Union decided to go on strike from Friday (21 October) morning in protest against the plying of unauthorised three-wheelers in the district.
If the administration does not stop them by October 20, all bus routes in Khulna will be stopped on October 21 and 22.
Khulna Motor Workers Union General Secretary Zakir Hossain Biplab said, "This decision has been taken by the owners' association. We express our solidarity with them."
Mizanur Rahman Mizan, a member of the executive committee of Khulna Metropolitan Awami League and a former Member of Parliament from Khulna-2 constituency, said, "I was in Dhaka when the bus suspension was announced. The other members of the owners' association made the announcement after discussing it with me."
The situation is the same at the launch ghat of BIWTA in Khulna. The workers stopped the launch movement in view of some of their demands.
Delwar Hossain, organising secretary of Bangladesh Launch Labor Association, Khulna said, "We workers have been demanding something for a long time. However, we stopped the launch as the owners did not implement it. This strike, which started from the night of 20 October, will last until the night of 22 October."
"Our salary is only Tk7,500, most of the launching ghats are unpaved, and the navigability of the river is low. The launch services cannot be carried out with these. So we stopped. We want to send a message to the owner association and the government through this strike," he added.
According to sources at the Launch Labor Association, launches operate in 6 routes from Khulna to various areas in the south.
"Our house is in Karata. It is about 100 km away from Khulna city. I came to Khulna yesterday. I can't go now. I went to the bus stand and saw that the bus was not running. So I thought I would go to the launch. But even here I see that the launch is not going on," said a passenger named Anab Mondal.
At around 10 o'clock at Khulna railway station, it was seen that trains are running from Khulna as per schedule. However, there is a shortage of tickets due to the pressure of excess passengers.
A passenger named Anwar said, "I go to the bus stand first to go to Jashore. I came to the train station without finding any bus there. I don't see a ticket here either."
However, the BNP leaders claim that buses and launches have been stopped under the pressure of Awami League leaders. On the other hand, an artificial crisis has been created in train tickets, they alleged.
"Khulna is being paralyzed under the pressure of the Awami League leaders. Their aim is to have fewer people in our gatherings. But their dream will not come true. Our leaders and workers will come to the rally even if necessary on foot or by walking," said BNP's Media Sub-Committee Convener Ehteshamul Haque Shawon.
Transport strike causes public suffering in Bagerhat
The ongoing transport strike in Khulna bought suffering to Bagerhat commuters. Candidates appearing for the recruitment exam are facing the most problems. As public transport is closed, some have tried to reach their destination by walking, some by van or easy-bikes.
A candidate named Yamin had to go to Gopalganj to take part in the recruitment exam. He was seen walking with his elder brother as he could not find any vehicle. He regretted that the rally was held in Khulna but transport to Dhaka was stopped.
"I may not be able to go to the center on time," he said.
Another person named Hasan, who came from Pabna to Pirojpur, said that even though he reached Khulna at four in the morning, it took about four hours to reach Bagerhat by van.
"Waiting at the bus stand to find nothing. I am in doubt whether I will be able to go home," he said.
A man named Mosharraf was going to see a doctor in Khulna with his wife from Morelganj upazila. But due to lack of transport, he was forced to return home.
No public transport from Jashore to Khulna
No public transport is avilavilabe in the Jashore-Khulna route since Friday morning.
Microbuses and private cars are also not available for rent.
BNP leaders have alleged that the government has planned to stop the movement of public transport from Jashore to prevent the political party's protest rally.
"BNP will hold a gathering in Khulna on Saturday. The life of the workers could be in danger due to it. So the owners and workers have stopped public transport in Jashore-Khulna route for two days due to the fear of vandalism," said Salim Reza Mithu, general secretary of the Jashore unit of Bangladesh Transport Workers Union.
The owner of Eagle Transport, Pavitra Kapuria, said, "There is a fear of vandalism in all parties' rallies. That is why we have stopped the transport service."
Due to the suspension of public transport on the roads, BNP workers have been going to Khulna in different ways since Friday morning; specially by train.
Sajjad Hossain, a youth worker, said that he reached Khulna by 11 o'clock train on Friday.
"Even though we were stopped by the OC of Kotwali police station, everyone got up as soon as the train arrived," he said.
District BNP Joint Convener Delwar Hossain Khokon said BNP workers are not getting cars to rent to go to Khulna.
"Drivers say they are afraid of lawsuits if they give cars to BNP," he added.
BNP's Khulna Divisional Organizing Secretary Anindya Islam Amit complained that Khulna has been isolated from the rest of the country on the orders of Awami League.
"Launch-trawlers and wharf closures are also planned. The government's conspiracy was already known. But BNP has an alternative strategy. 10 lakh people will be gathered at the rally. Every worker of BNP will come to the rally venue ignoring hundreds of barriers," he said.
Passengers suffer on Satkhira-Khulna route
No passenger bus left for Khulna from Satkhira since Friday morning. However, the bus service from Satkhira is normal on the rest of the routes.
Bus traffic was normal on the Satkhira-Jashore-Kaligonj-Shyamnagar-Ashashuni route at Satkhira bus terminal.
Mahatab Hossain, a bus driver, said that buses are running on all routes, only the Khulna route is closed.
Meanwhile, thousands of passengers have suffered due to the suspension of buses on the Khulna route. Many people tried reaching Khulna on three-wheelers and motorcycles.
Naresh Chandra Halder got into trouble after reaching the Khulna road junction in Satkhira city from Hooghly, India. He is headed to Kotalipara of Gopalganj district.
"If the bus service has been stopped, they could have told me at Bhomra. Now reaching so far, I see that the bus is stopped. Now how do I reach my destination?" he said.
On the other hand, Satkhira district BNP has made alternative preparations to attend the BNP rally in Khulna.
Syed Iftekhar Ali, convenor of Satkhira district BNP, said that 6,000 leaders and activists from Satkhira will join the rally.
"We had already imagined that the government would do such an act. That is why we have already taken alternative preparations. Thousands of leaders and activists had been staying in Khulna from Satkhira before the transport services stopped. Besides, 6000 activists will reach the rally from Satkhira by motorcycle and by water. But they will come separately. So as not to be a victim of any obstacle in the way. The government will not be able to stop the mass flow of people in any way," he said.
